


Paws

by alisayamin (sh_04e)



Category: Tales of Zestiria
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, Cats, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friendship/Love, Gen, Guardian Angels, Happy Ending, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Soulmates, Sad with a Happy Ending, Sick Character, Sleepy Cuddles, Soulmates, Wishes, one and only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-24
Updated: 2016-09-24
Packaged: 2018-08-17 00:15:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,937
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8123146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sh_04e/pseuds/alisayamin
Summary: Mikleo knew it was born different from Sorey. Heck, they both knew. But it never stopped them from wanting to stay by each other’s side. Actually, when they looked back, they had no one else. Perhaps a few kind souls who fed them and gave them a place to stay for a night or two but those deeds never last. They learned that love and care from others were not as pure as what they shared between themselves.[The tale of a seraphic cat and its one and only]





	

 

Mikleo twitched from the familiar rough strokes of a certain tongue on the bridge of its nose.

“…Sorey, stop.” Mikleo mewled sleepily. Mornings were not the best of time to wake up.

The licking continued with broader and longer strokes.

Mikleo tried pushing Sorey away with its paw but Sorey easily pinned it down since Mikleo was still weak from sleep. Mikleo groaned and gave in.

“Okay okay, I’m up, I’m up.” Mikleo stretched and opened an eye to see Sorey’s goofy grin “Is it necessary to wake me up every day?”

Sorey stood with pride on its paws, “Yes it is. You’ll miss out on the morning fun!”

Mikleo was tempted to roll over and sleep, “That’s the point of being a cat. This is why everyone calls you weird.” Mikleo yawned and lazed itself on the grass.

Sorey roughly nuzzled its head against Mikleo’s side, “Mikleeeoooo don’t go back to sleeeeeep.”

“I’m not.” Mikleo rolled so that the-nuzzling-Sorey followed along and fell on Mikleo’s stomach.

“Woah. Give me a warning will you?”

Mikleo grabbed Sorey’s head and playfully chewed on the brown cat’s ear as it mumbled, “Punishment for waking me up so early.”

Sorey didn’t fight back. It was as close to affection that Mikleo would show during its grumpy mornings.

Spring was their favorite season. It was not too cold or too hot and it brought life to them after a hard winter. Spring mornings were blessed with the scent of flowers and cool rivers with plenty of fish, not to mention the luscious meadows to sleep on.

Mikleo knew it was born different from Sorey. Heck, they both knew. But it never stopped them from wanting to stay by each other’s side. Actually, when they looked back, they had no one else. Perhaps a few kind souls who fed them and gave them a place to stay for a night or two but those deeds never last. They learned that love and care from others were not as pure as what they shared between themselves.

They ventured out of sight to a place only they knew.

Sorey and Mikleo would climb a hill of the valley where the lake was full of fishes. Mikleo…was not sure what hunger was but it knew enough that Sorey was a normal cat that needed food. And fish was the best tasting food they knew.

“MIKLEO THERE!” Sorey exclaimed excitedly.

Mikleo would lift its paw at the direction of the fish and the water would part and burst at the seraphic cat’s command. Sorey’s agility and strength made it easy to catch the fish with its mouth.

Mikleo hated to admit that it adored the triumph look on Sorey’s face with the wiggling fish in its mouth.

“Nyf chiming! (Nice timing!)” Sorey happily complimented as it always did.

“Nice catch.” Mikleo responded fondly.

They often shared their catch. Even though Mikleo didn’t have to eat, it became an unspoken rule for them to always eat together.

 

* * *

 

“This. Is a bad idea.”

“You said that already. Twice.”

“I’ll say it again. This is a bad idea.”

“Oh cmooooon, it’s not that bad. Just a little hot melting stuff.”

“That’s _lava_ , Sorey.”

Sorey nodded with confidence, “Yes it is.”

One of the curiosities that piqued them was the unity of the animal kingdom between seraphic creatures and normal creatures. It was not unheard of but they were deemed as an ‘unlikely pair’ by almost every creature they met due to the  distinct separation of the two types of beings.

And they realized that their history, ancestors and predecessors were often mentioned on the dead walls of pre-historic ruins and caves. And sometimes, these caves weren’t exactly ‘cat-friendly’.

Mikleo was not afraid. Really, it wasn’t as scary as they always made it to be but dear lord was Mikleo scared for Sorey. Sorey had a good physique for a normal cat (much bigger than Mikleo’s) but the dangers Sorey was exposed to was outstanding; from boiling lava to jumping over endlessly dark spaces.

And yet, Sorey always made it through. Mikleo only had to save Sorey once or twice so far throughout their whole lives.

After Sorey was safe on the other side, Mikleo would sigh in relief. As a water seraphic cat, Mikleo was only able to do so much to protect Sorey. After Mikleo jumped, Sorey would circle Mikleo and go in for the cuddles.

“The lava makes you really really warm, Mikleo!”

Mikleo playfully pushed Sorey away with its paw, “You smell like char.”

Sorey pouted, “Meanie.”

Mikleo trotted towards a niche it spotted and ensured it was safe, “I’m tired, Sorey.”

Sorey froze and watched Mikleo with intensity, reacting the same way every time Mikleo said those words. Sorey waited for Mikleo to settle down and then watched as Mikleo gestured for Sorey to join in.

Mikleo never got tired of how excited Sorey was for the invitation to cuddle and sleep together.

Being different beings meant a lot of give-and-take. Sorey was warm-blooded and craved the same body heat. That is why there are times when Mikleo monopolized their situation. Mikleo knew its body ran cold as a water seraphic being so in places so close to the Earth’s core where it warmed even Mikleo’s fur, Mikleo would pretend to want to rest so that they could snuggle with one another. Perhaps Sorey knew. Perhaps Sorey didn’t. But Sorey never once turned down a Mikleo who vaguely asked for cuddles.

In those deep murky ruins and caves, was where Mikleo could finally sleep with Sorey’s whiskers and fur tickling its nose. As their tails entwined, bodies warmly snuggled together, and the side of their heads bumping gently against each other, Mikleo wished they could stay in that place forever.

 

* * *

 

Sorey looked unhappy as Mikleo cleaned itself with grace and poise.

“Hey Mikleo.”

“Yes?” Mikleo responded without stopping its tongue from thoroughly cleaning in between its paws.

“Are you ever gonna lick me?”

Mikleo looked at Sorey dead in the eyes, “Are you hurt in a place you can’t reach?”

Sorey contemplated, “…no?”

“Do you want to be?”

Sorey pouted, “That’s not fair. I always lick you.”

“I don’t ask for it. And it annoys me because you don’t stop until I wake up.”

“Hehe, exactly!” Sorey grinned.

That answer annoyed Mikleo for some reason. And that’s why they were suddenly rolling over each other and playfully biting for dominance. Sorey had a bigger build so it was never a competition. Sorey pinned Mikleo down, usually by the neck, before licking Mikleo’s fur. And Mikleo, out of courtesy towards Sorey’s win, would lie still and let itself be pampered by Sorey.

 

* * *

 

The night sky where they lived were always adorned with endless clusters of stars. 

They were watching it together, necks craned upwards to watch a falling star.

“Hey Mikleo.”

“Mm?”

“Do you remember our childhood?”

“Why?”

Sorey got up on all paws and then fell purposely onto Mikleo’s side despite how cold Mikleo’s body was. Sorey just wanted to be close with its best friend. 

“I don’t remember anything apart from you being there.”

Mikleo absorbed Sorey’s warmth, reminiscing it and realizing that Sorey’s warmth never changed. 

“Me too.”

Slowly, Mikleo leaned back against Sorey. And it made the brown cat very very happy.

 

* * *

 

Many years had passed since their last encounter with another creature. Sorey and Mikleo did not like colliding with others due to past experiences. Recalling those awful memories often make Mikleo have nightmares. There were those that wanted Mikleo for its unique fur, a beautiful mix of blue and green, like the color of the ocean. Being almost skinned alive, being hypnotized by seraphic artes and almost kidnapped, seeing Sorey getting hurt for wanting to save Mikleo, all those are the bad memories Mikleo had kept locked away.

And then there are those that mistreated Sorey. It was obvious that they came in a pair but humans only ever wanted the beautiful Mikleo. Ever since then, Mikleo understood why seraphic creatures made themselves invisible to the human naked eye. Nothing good ever came out of it.

So they left the human community and all other creatures to be on their own, in their own unique world. They supported one another. Sorey and Mikleo often rested in their shared space in between bent tree roots. It was their safe haven during the fall since the leaves covered the roots and it was too dense for rainwater to penetrate. They were safe there. Always.

 

* * *

 

The changes were slow. Some were obvious, some weren’t.

Maybe it was the way Sorey walked. Maybe it was the way Sorey wheezed a little after climbing the hill. Or maybe it was the amount of fishes they failed to catch time and time again.

But Sorey never stopped smiling. Or laughing. Or pouncing around until they were both tired.

They never stopped ruin hunting, no matter how far it was and no matter how long it took them to go back to their nest under the tree roots.

They had spent so many days together, Mikleo forgot when it was that Sorey stopped licking Mikleo’s forehead in the mornings to wake Mikleo up. Because Sorey slept longer nowadays. Sorey woke up in the late afternoons, lazing around with Mikleo.

The changes were slow. And Mikleo started being afraid.

 

* * *

 

Sorey licked its lips after only a few mouthfuls of their recent catch, “Mikleo, you can have the rest.”

“Eh?”

Sorey stretched out sleepily, “I’m full already~”

 _‘You barely ate...’_ were Mikleo’s unspoken words.

 

* * *

 

Sorey ate less and less every new moon; moving from healthy fish to small berries and mushrooms. Eventually, they stopped going to the lake over the hills. And Mikleo could not ask why. Mikleo didn’t know what being a normal cat was like. Mikleo didn’t know if it was normal to gradually lose appetite to eat. Mikleo didn’t know if Sorey was alright.

And the growing fear in Mikleo’s heart started hurting even more when Sorey started sleeping half the day.  

But Sorey always smiled at Mikleo. Sorey always laughed when Mikleo said it was worried.

 

* * *

 

It was Sorey who suggested to climb it together. And Mikleo was excited for the first time in a long time. Going to the lake meant fishing. And fishing meant that Sorey’s appetite had returned. Mikleo happily led their journey up the hill to the lake. Sorey wanted to eat fish again. And it was the best request Mikleo ever heard.

“We’re almost there Sorey!” Mikleo could see the trees that marked the edge of the hill. 

Usually Sorey would run past Mikleo and call Mikleo slow but Sorey didn’t. 

"Sorey?” Mikleo turned back, “SOREY!”

That day, Mikleo hated the hill. Mikleo hated it for being so high. Mikleo hated that it loved the lake where they always played and catch fish.

Mikleo hated it because Sorey loved the hill and the lake too.

Mikleo hated it because Sorey collapsed trying to climb it.

Mikleo hated it because that was when things never got better.

 

* * *

 

The disadvantages of being a water seraphic cat came during harsh winters. Sorey was already so weak and Sorey’s refusal to eat left Sorey’s body cold and shivering. No matter how good the fish Mikleo caught was, Sorey never ate more than two nibbles.

Mikleo found a better shelter for them in a low hole in a big tree bark where it was shielded by warm leaves Mikleo weaved. But it was never enough. Sorey convulsed badly each night and Mikleo’s cold body was no use to snuggle Sorey with.

Mikleo often slept outside, coming in just to check on Sorey.

In the end, Mikleo came up with a brilliant idea.

It was debatably stupid but it worked. Mikleo ventured into the ruins alone, finding a viable source of heat and taking a few stones near the lava back with it. It wasn’t easy to find a way to carry those stones but Mikleo managed with its water artes.

Mikleo used those stones to indirectly surround Sorey in the tree bark, layered each with enough normal stones to not burn Sorey’s fur. All the while, Sorey looked up at Mikleo with solemn but loving eyes.

“…you’re warm.” Was all Sorey said.

It was the first night when Mikleo could finally rest by Sorey’s side.

“You smell like char.” Sorey laughed softly, using a mockery that Mikleo once did.

Mikleo laughed too before cuddling Sorey close. Mikleo did not sleep for it feared that Sorey would not make it through the night.

 

* * *

 

Mikleo was prepared. Mikleo knew Sorey was losing the fight. And Mikleo knew there was nothing to heal inside Sorey. What Sorey was going through was a natural phenomenon.

And each winter day, Mikleo was prepared to let Sorey go as Mikleo cuddled with the brown cat in their nest.

But the unexpected happened. Suddenly, winter was over. And spring finally greeted them again. 

 

* * *

 

Sorey was walking better. Sorey ate more and started playing with Mikleo again.

They frolicked through new flowers and laughed to their heart’s content.

Sorey still slept for a long time and ate nothing more than a few mouthfuls but Sorey was definitely getting better.

As they rested under a tree, Sorey pouted again, watching Mikleo clean itself.

“Mikleoooo”

“What is it now?”

“Lick meeeeeee.”

“No.”

“Please?” Sorey closed its eyes and made a funny face.

Mikleo chuckled. Instead of licking Sorey, Mikleo gently bopped their noses.

Sorey’s eyes flew open, “…you just-“

Embarrassed, Mikleo started pouncing Sorey, wanting to forget what it did. It was like a kiss as the humans called it.

Sorey laughed it out, knowing Mikleo was embarrassed.

“Hey Mikleo?” Sorey spoke softly when Mikleo was on Sorey’s stomach after rolling around on the grass.

“Mm?”

“I wanna go there. To the lake again. Tomorrow.”

Mikleo froze in fear, “But-“

“I’ll be okay. You’ll be with me right?”

Mikleo could never deny Sorey’s wishes, “Fine.”

Sorey smiled, “It’s a promise then!”

Mikleo smiled back. 

Their paws met. As though it sealed their promise to return to the place they loved most.

 

* * *

 

It had been a very long time since Mikleo last felt it. As nostalgic as it was, Mikleo groaned when the rough stroke of Sorey’s tongue brushed the bridge of Mikleo’s nose.

“Mikleo.”

“…ngh, Sorey..” Mikleo started to complain.

But when Mikleo opened its eyes, Sorey was not hovering in Mikleo’s face.

Mikleo got up and turned to see Sorey still sleeping.

“Rise and shine, Sorey, or you’ll miss out on the morning fun.” Mikleo teased.

Sorey remained motionless. 

“Oi, Sorey.” Mikleo leaned its paw on Sorey’s back. 

Only the breezy morning winds responded to Mikleo’s call.

Mikleo came closer to the brown cat, “Sorey?”

Mikleo nudged Sorey’s head and nuzzled it hard, “Sorey, wake up.”

Mikleo bit the tip of Sorey’s ear and chewed and pulled it. 

Mikleo went to Sorey’s side and pushed its paws on Sorey’s ticklish spot, “Sorey, please.”

“SOREY!” Mikleo shouted. 

Those words yesterday played in Mikleo’s head and its meows became soft and pitiful, “You said you wanted to go to the lake.”

Mikleo nuzzled Sorey by the neck futilely, “You promised.”

Mikleo leaned on Sorey’s back and started gently licking Sorey’s head, wishing that the rare affectionate act from Mikleo would wake Sorey up.

Mikleo did not know what teardrops were but it knew that those drops from its eyes came from Mikleo’s broken heart. Mikleo cried soundlessly as it cuddled close next to Sorey’s growing cold body. 

Sorey’s fur brushed gently against Mikleo’s. Their paws met, and so did their whiskers, bodies and tails. Mikleo wished that it could sleep forever too. Mikleo wished its beating heart would match Sorey’s stilled one.  

In their favorite season, both cats cuddled as one with their eyes closed. 

 

* * *

 

The guardian watched the two cats with silent tears dripping down her face.

“Edna, are you crying?” spoke a voice behind her.

“Lailah..! What are you doing here?”

Lailah stood beside Edna and watched the cats as well, “I heard of this cat’s passing.”

Edna stubbornly wiped her tears as she held up a glowing wisp in her hand, “This cat is an idiot.”

Lailah only smiled fondly, “Is that so? But you still granted its wish, didn’t you?”

Edna stilled. New tears seemed to build up in her eyes as she spoke with genuine sadness, “All it wanted was to give its beloved one last lick on the nose and to call out its name.” Edna was so affected because she had been watching them all the while and she knew what it meant for those cats. 

Lailah turned to look at the seraphic cat, “Is this the idiotic cat you told me about? The one that went through tremendous heat to keep its friend warm?”

Edna nodded, “Yeah. Its seraphic lifespan can go up for another century or two. It’s barely been two decades.”

The two cats’ fur seemed to have assimilated, as though they shared one body. They were so close that Lailah could not tell where their limbs were. Lailah gently circled her hand over the water seraphic cat. 

Edna’s eyes widened, “Lailah!”

“Edna, you can feel it as well, can’t you? This cat, no longer has the will to live.” A small glowing wisp flew out of the cat’s body and onto Lailah’s palm. 

She brought it towards the wisp in Edna’s hand and they watched as the wisps circled each other. 

Eventually, the wisps merged into one.

“It’d be a sin for us to separate fated soulmates, no matter what form they may take.”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, there you go, I hope the anon that requested this liked it and is okay, cuz I’m not and I shed a few tears writing this so I hope my feelings came through for some of you. 


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